Tobacco firms don’t want kids to smoke
Portland Insight
Peter Korn’s article, “State turns blind eye as stores break law” (Aug. 4), about Oregon’s efforts to address underage tobacco sales, includes a claim that the tobacco industry is trying to make it easy for kids to buy tobacco products.
Philip Morris USA, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. and John Middleton do not want kids to be able to buy or use any tobacco products. We support our retail partners’ efforts to educate store clerks that it’s not OK to sell tobacco products to kids. And we encourage states to enforce their laws and hold store owners and clerks accountable for selling tobacco to minors.
Our companies supported the 2009 law giving the FDA the authority to regulate tobacco products, reduce underage tobacco use and enforce retailer compliance with laws limiting access to tobacco products by minors. Under federal law, it’s illegal to sell tobacco products to minors.
Additionally, we support the enactment of state legislation that would prohibit the purchase or possession of tobacco products by minors or the use of false identification by a minor during an attempt to purchase tobacco products. Oregon has such laws on the books, and they should be enforced.
Government, public health, parents and tobacco companies share the goal to eliminate underage tobacco use. We hope that the tobacco industry, the federal government and the states can work together to keep tobacco products out of kids’ hands.
Paige Magness
Director of corporate responsibility, Altria Client Services
Richmond, Va.
